Journal of Arak University of Medical Sciences

Effect of Saffron Supplementation and Aerobic Training on Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10 and L-cysteine in Outpatients with Coronavirus

ameneh poorrahim

Introduction: Anti-cytokine considerations in COVID-19 patients can play a significant role in preventing death, therefore, physical activity by reducing risk factors, as well as saffron with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, are considered as anti-cytokine solutions. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of saffron supplementation and endurance training on the concentration of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and L-cysteine in outpatients with coronavirus.
Methods: The statistical population of this research is outpatients with coronavirus, 36 of whom were randomly selected. Cytokines and L-cysteine were measured using a special kit and ELISA method. The research hypotheses were checked at a significance level of P < 0.05 using ANOVA test with repeated measurements with between-group factor.
Results: The results showed that endurance activity and saffron supplementation caused a significant decrease in IL-6 levels and the ratio of interleukin 6 to interleukin 10 (P ≥ 0.05). Also, endurance activity along with saffron supplementation caused a significant increase in serum L-cysteine concentration (P = 0.035). The results showed that there is no interaction effect between the measurement stages and the group, as well as intra-group and inter-group differences in interleukin-10 variables (P = 0.511).
Conclusions: The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 decrease due to saffron supplementation and endurance training, and the amount of L-cysteine increases, which helps the recovery of COVID-19 patients.

The effect of eight weeks of high-intensity intermittent swimming training on tumor necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta 1 in the liver tissue of rats fed with high-fat diet

Homa Sheikhani Shahin

On average, patients suffering from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis after about seven years, their disease turns into fibrosis and reversibility at this stage becomes very difficult because this disease is an irreversible stage of the disease. Fatty liver is non-alcoholic (2). Researches have come to the conclusion that liver inflammation and insulin resistance decrease and insulin sensitivity increases with sports activity (3). TNF-α has a high inflammatory effect; So that different agents and species of this family and their receptors play a role in NASH disease and liver fibrosis (5). However, exercise increases prostaglandins and cAMP. The mentioned hormones inhibit the function of TNF-α (6). On the other hand, anti-inflammatory cytokines increase due to exercise and inhibit the increase of TNF-α. With the increase in production and secretion of TNF-α, other inflammatory factors such as TGF-β1 signaling are activated and fibrosis signaling will start in liver cells (5). TGF-β1 (Transforming growth factor beta 1) is one of the members of the large family of transforming growth factors beta (TGF-β) and a key cytokine in obesity and insulin resistance (7). In a research, during 48 weeks of applying a high-fat diet to rats, they found that steatosis occurs in the liver of rats from the eighth week onwards, and the amount of TGF-β1 in them increased significantly. In the end, they came to the conclusion that this factor can be one of the main characteristics of determining the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with NASH (10). High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the new training models whose positive effects have been identified in a variety of metabolic diseases (13). On the other hand, there are very few researches about the effect of aquatic environment and swimming on the improvement of metabolism and inflammation in NASH patients. Based on the results of a systematic review in 2018, it was shown that endurance exercise in water improved systemic inflammation and weight control (18). Despite the conflicting results in this field and the beneficial effects of exercise in water and also human's innate interest in water, the effect of high-intensity interval exercise in water in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis has not been observed by the researchers of this study. Therefore, the effect of eight weeks of high-intensity interval training in water on inflammatory factors in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was investigated.
Materials and methods
In this study, eight-week-old rats were divided into two groups: healthy (n=20) and high-fat diet (HFD) (n=20). After eight weeks and proof of disease induction, the HFD group was randomly divided into two groups: control-disease (n=9) and exercise-disease (n=9); Also, the healthy group was divided into two groups: control-healthy (n=9) and exercise-healthy (n=9). The rats in the training group performed HIIT swimming training, including 20 times of 30 seconds of swimming with 30 seconds of rest between each time, for eight weeks (three days a week). One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test (P<0.05) were used to determine the difference between groups.
Ethical Considerations
The proposal of this study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (IR.SUMS.REHAB.REC.1400.008).
Findings:
As shown in diagram 1; Based on the results of the one-way analysis of variance test, it can be said that there was a significant difference between the mean TNF-α blood serum (P=0.001). According to the results of Bonferroni's post hoc test, these differences in blood serum TNF-α variable between the control-healthy and control-disease groups (P=0.001), exercise-disease (P=0.001) and exercise-healthy (P=0.002), control-disease with exercise-disease (P=0.012) and exercise-healthy (P=0.001), exercise-healthy with exercise-disease (P=0.002) was.
According to graph 2, it can be seen that there is no significant difference in TGFβ1 variable in all four groups (p=0.068). However, by comparing the averages, it is found that the amount of TGFβ1 protein has decreased by 49.1968% in the patient-exercise group after high-intensity intermittent swimming exercise compared to the control-patient group. Meanwhile, this protein in the exercise-healthy group was reduced by 45.2741% compared to the control-patient. Figure 1 shows the protein bands related to TGFβ1 protein.
Discussion and conclusion: The results of the present research showed that high-intensity intermittent swimming exercises reduce inflammatory and fibrotic factors, and in general, it can be concluded that eight weeks of high-intensity intermittent swimming exercises improve the inflammatory and fibrotic factors associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. . However, to obtain a definitive result, this type of exercise should be studied in human studies in this patient community.
Appreciation and thanks: This article is taken from the master's thesis in sports physiology (first author) of Zand Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz, with ethics code IR.SUMS.REHAB.REC.1400.008. In the end, we sincerely thank all friends and colleagues who helped us during the stages of this research.
Conflict of interest:The authors of this article have no mutual benefit from its publication.
Authors' share (participation rate): All four authors participated in the preparation of this article.
Key words: high-intensity swimming interval training, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, tumor necrosis factor alpha, transforming growth factor beta

Investigating the therapeutic effect of p-cymene on oxidative stress and mRNA level of mTOR gene in diabetic rats

Zahra Hajebrahimi

Background and Aim: Diabetes is a type of metabolic disease and one of the most common endocrine diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in the development and progression of diabetes. mTOR signaling pathway play an important role in glucose homeostasis and proliferation of pancreatic beta cells. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of p-cymene on oxidative stress markers and expression of the mTOR gene in diabetic male Wistar rats were investigated.
Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced by injecting 55 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin. Biochemical analyses of pancreatic tissue and real-time PCR were done to investigate the effects of metformin (55 mg/kg body weight) and p-cymene (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight) on the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes and mTOR gene expression.
Findings: Streptozotocin decreased catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes and decreased the expression of the mTOR gene in pancreatic tissue. Treatment with metformin or p-cymene improved the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes and the expression of the mTOR gene in a dose-independent manner.
Conclusion: Results indicate that p-cymene has antioxidant properties and can regulate the mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, p-cymene may be effective for the treatment of diabetes alone or in combination with metformin.

Investigation of the Changes in the Serum Level of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone after Receiving Short-Term and Medium-Term Levels of Electromagnetic Waves Emitted from Home Wi-Fi in Male Rats

Fereshteh Bamdad

Introduction: Nowadays, due to the increasing spread of electronic devices and digital transmitters, the general public is exposed to electromagnetic waves with different wavelengths. According to the function of the thyroid gland on the metabolic actions of the body, the purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the serum level of thyroid stimulating hormone after receiving short-term and long-term electromagnetic waves emitted from home Wi-Fi.
Methods: 60 rats in the weight range of 250-300 grams were randomly divided into 3 equal groups. The first group did not receive any waves. The second group was placed near Irancell's portable Wi-Fi device for 10 days,1 hour a day, and the third group was near Wi-Fi waves for 3 hours a day for a month. After one month, blood was taken from the mice and the serum level of thyroid stimulating hormone was measured.
Results: The data analysis showed that the serum level of thyroid stimulating hormone in the group that was exposed to medium-term Wi-Fi waves was significantly different from the control group, but the level of this hormone in the group that was exposed to the waves for a short period of time, it was not significant in comparison with the control group.
Conclusions: According to the present results, it is possible that electromagnetic waves lead to hormonal disorders in the body, and one of these disorders can be a change in the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of General Dentists and Specialists about the Application of Different Dental Cements

Masomeh Rostamzadeh

Introduction: The dentist's level of knowledge and abilities is one of the determining factors in the correct selection and application of dental cements. This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of general dentists and specialists about the application of different dental cements.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was cross-sectional one which conducted on 150 specialist and general dentists in governmental and private centers in Kurdistan province (2019) who performed fixed prosthetic treatments, was done through census and available sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. To analyze data, T-test and ANOVA tests were used in SPSS-22 software. A significance level was considered less than 0.05. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted after the approval of the protocol in the research ethics committee and receiving the ethical code number IR.MUK.REC.1398.302 and according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
Results: The overall average score of dentists' knowledge was 6.5, which was close to and higher than the average scores and had a significant relationship with the grade and place of employment (P<0.05). The overall average score of attitude was 3.4, which was almost equal to the average scores. There was a significant relationship between grade and gender with attitude score (P<0.05). The overall average score of the dentists' practice was 5, which was higher than the average scores, and the practice score had a significant relationship with gender, place of employment, and grade (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The average score of knowledge, attitude, and practice of dentists was average, and in general, the scores of specialists were higher than general dentists. Women had a higher attitude and practice score. People working in the private sector had a higher knowledge score. To increase the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general dentists, there is a need to hold training courses.

The Effectiveness of Family Therapy Based on Family Consolidation on Marital Conflicts and Sexual Satisfaction of Couples Applying for Divorce

Zahra ghanbari

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of family therapy based on family consolidation on marital conflicts and sexual satisfaction of couples applying for divorce.
Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of this research included all couples applying for divorce who referred to counseling centers in Kerman city in 2023. 30 couples were selected as available and were replaced in two experimental (15 couples) and control (15 couples) groups randomly and by lottery method. Family therapy intervention based on family consolidation was conducted in 8 sessions twice a week for 90 minutes and after 3 months of follow-up. In order to collect data, Barati and Sanai's Marital Conflict Questionnaire and Larson's Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire were used. In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics tests (mean and standard deviation) and analysis of variance with repeated measurements were used with SPSS version 24 software.
Results: The results showed that family therapy based on family consolidation had an effect on reducing marital conflicts (P < 0.001, F = 37.24) and increasing sexual satisfaction (P < 0.001, F = 126.34) of couples applying for divorce (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: According to the results of this research, it is recommended to use family therapy based on family consolidation in reducing marital conflicts and increasing sexual satisfaction of couples applying for divorce.

The Effectiveness of Combined Treatment Based on Virtual Reality and Mindfulness on Cortisol Levels in Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Gholamreza Manshaee

Introduction: This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of combined treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness on cortisol levels in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
Methods: The study employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group and a two-month follow-up period. The study population included all individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder who referred to the clinics of the Psychological Services Center and Counseling in Region 3, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center of Welfare in Region 6, and the Aryaz Counseling and Psychological Services of Region 6, Tehran, from April 2022 to the end of autumn 2022.
Results: The sample consisted of 30 individuals (10 males and 20 females) with generalized anxiety disorder, selected purposefully and randomly assigned to a treatment group based on virtual reality and mindfulness (15 individuals) and a control group (15 individuals). Pre-test, post-test, and follow-up cortisol levels were measured, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was used as the entry criterion. Subsequently, the experimental group received an eight-session, 17-minute weekly treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness. Participants in this group, while immersed in a virtual environment, watched 360-degree virtual reality videos, "Walking by the Beach" and "Pebbles in the Lake," accompanied by mindfulness audio contemplation, "Being Present and Breathing," and "Wise Mind," using a VR headset and VR-ARBOX. The control group received no treatment.
Conclusions: After completing the interventions, post-tests and two-month follow-ups were conducted. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS23 software, revealing that the combined treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness was effective in reducing cortisol levels. It is suggested that this combined method is used as a clinical intervention in order to reduce the level of anxiety and cortisol of people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder alone or along with other psychological and pharmaceutical interventions.

Investigating and Explaining Various Causes of Academic Failure in Dental Students of Arak City in 2023

Afrooz Nakhostin

Introduction: The academic failure of students is one of the major problems of higher education centers in the country, which not only wastes time and running costs of these centers, but also causes mental-psychological, family and social problems for students. The purpose of this study was to investigate and explain the various causes of academic failure in dental students of Arak city.
Methods: The present study was of a descriptive-analytical type, which was conducted with the participation of 120 dental students of Arak Medical Sciences. Sampling was by census method and all students were included in the study. The data collection tool of this study was a questionnaire containing demographic characteristics, questions related to various factors of academic failure in students. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (frequency, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression) in SPSS software version 22.
Results: The sample consisted of 30 individuals (10 males and 20 females) with generalized anxiety disorder, selected purposefully and randomly assigned to a treatment group based on virtual reality and mindfulness (15 individuals) and a control group (15 individuals). Pre-test, post-test, and follow-up cortisol levels were measured, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was used as the entry criterion. Subsequently, the experimental group received an eight-session, 17-minute weekly treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness. Participants in this group, while immersed in a virtual environment, watched 360-degree virtual reality videos, "Walking by the Beach" and "Pebbles in the Lake," accompanied by mindfulness audio contemplation, "Being Present and Breathing," and "Wise Mind," using a VR headset and VR-ARBOX. The control group received no treatment.
Conclusions: According to the findings of this research, it was found that factors such as student's individual characteristics, inappropriate educational environment, inappropriate family environment and dealing with non-curricular issues had a significant effect on the event of students' academic decline, so paying attention to these factors in the design and implementation University educational programs can play an effective role in avoiding academic failure.